Sam Ackerman was well aware of the fast starts by Montclair Kimberley Academy throughout the 81st Greater Newark Tournament. With that in mind, the message for the Montclair ace was clear: Do not let the team get any type of momentum.

"We knew that in each GNT game they had gotten out to a huge lead and then they were able to play relaxed throughout the game," Ackerman said. "Coach (Ron Gavazzi) wanted me to go out and set a tone in the first inning."

With two straight three-pitch strikeouts, Ackerman did just that when third-seeded Montclair defeated 15th-seeded Montclair Kimberley, 11-1 in six innings in yesterday's semifinals at Verona's Doc Goeltz Field.

Montclair (12-8) will face Seton Hall Prep in Sunday's title game at 3 p.m. at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium in Newark. Seton Hall Prep, No. 7 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, defeated Caldwell, 6-1, in the other semifinal.

"Sam's been unstoppable," sophomore Nick Starpoli said. "I feel like we can't lose when he’s on the mound. It's just a great feeling."

Ackerman (5-2) struck out four, allowing no earned runs, three hits and two walks. The senior right-hander has yet to allow an earned run over 14 innings in this year's tournament.

"He's been pitching big games since his freshman season," Gavazzi said. "It was no different today. It was vintage Sam Ackerman."

Montclair Kimberley (9-11) made it 1-0 in the third inning when Conor Nolan reached on a single and scored after a throwing error.

But MKA's incredible tournament run, which included upsets over Millburn and Bloomfield, would come to an end, as Montclair responded with four runs in the bottom of the third. RBI hits from Brett Cooper (3-for-4) and Chris Vincent put Montclair ahead, followed by a Ben Hamilton sacrifice fly and a Leo Poggie RBI single.

Ackerman and Eli Kashi added fourth-inning runs to make it 6-1. Kashi and Starpoli each had three stolen bases and two runs.

Standing in Montclair's way of a second-straight title is top-seeded Seton Hall Prep (22-2), thanks to a complete game from Kevin Mahala.

Mahala (5-1) struck out six, allowing one run, three hits and a walk on the afternoon as he baffled fourth-seeded Caldwell (16-4) with a devastating curve, along with a fastball and change-up.

"When you throw off-speed pitches for strikes, it's going to help you,” Mahala said. "It just leaves the batters off-balanced all the time."

The senior right-hander retired 12 of the first 13 hitters he faced, but didn't have a lead to show for it, as he was locked in a duel with Caldwell’s Jack Docteroff (5-1).

Frank Maldonado ended the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth when he roped a Docteroff fastball into the left-field corner for an inside-the-park home run.

"I was just looking for a pitch I could put a good swing on," Maldonado said. "It's basically the same approach I've had all year, just to get a pitch in the zone that I can crush."

"Anytime you play in this kind of a setting I think there’s a little bit of tightness," Seton Hall Prep coach Mike Sheppard Jr. said. "Sometimes it takes just one good swing or one good knock to wake everybody up a little bit."

Mike Muha made it 2-0 four batters later, with an RBI double. Seton Hall Prep would then break the game open with two unearned runs in the fifth and two runs (one earned) in the sixth.

Hunter Smith scored for Caldwell on a Christian Hauser fielder's choice. Docteroff struck out five in five innings, allowing two earned runs, four hits and four walks.